CHURCH ROAD, ST RUFUS CHURCH (CHURCH OF SCOTLAND), ENCLOSING WALLS AND GATEPIERS (Ref:35629)

This building is in the Moray Council and the
Keith Burgh.
It is a category A building and was listed on 22/02/1972.

Group Items: N/A,
Group Cat: N/A,
Map Ref: NJ 430 508.

Description

James Gillespie Graham, dated 1816. Alterations James

Matthews, Aberdeen 1875. Large perpendicular Gothic church;

5-bay buttressed long elevations at N and S; 4-stage tower at

W. Mixed rubble, tooled and polished sandstone ashlar

dressings.

Wide E gable, central shallow entrance porch with angle

buttresses and crenellated wallhead. Tall hoodmoulded blind

flanking windows; squat traceried window above to light

gallery. Set-off buttresses to long elevations with

hoodmoulded perpendicular traceried windows; crenellated

wallhead; crowstepped gables; cross finial at E; slate roof.

4-stage tower in centre W gable; N and S entrances in base

(blind at N, dated at S). Angle buttresses; diminishing

stages; crenellated wallhead with crocketted angle pinnacles.

Clock faces at N, S and W set in Gothic Perpendicular

detailed frames.

INTERIOR: entrance lobby at E with mirrored stairs to

gallery; horse-shoe gallery supported by cast-iron cluster

columns with cusped panelled front with centre gilded

Seafield coat-of-arms.

Organ in carved case at W fronted by carved and panelled

rectangular pulpit reached by short flight steps with brass

handrail.

Mural aumbry of circa 1500, said to be Sacrament House, from

old Keith church (formerly sited in present burial ground)

re-set in W wall to left of pulpit. Aumbry initialled I O

with worn inscription, infilled with carved monogram possibly

former finial.

ENCLOSING WALLS AND GATEPIERS: church surrounded by coped

rubble walls; entrance flanked with square ashlar gatepiers

with pyramidal caps; pair cast-iron carriage gates.

Notes

Ecclesiastical building in use as such.
Sacrament House from pre-Reformation church which formerly
stood in ld burial ground (and replaced by present St Rufus
church) re-set as memorial to James Duncan of Keith, died
1970. Initialled IO for (?) James Ogilvie (Ogilvie family
occupied Milton Tower).
Bellcote from old church re-used on Botriphnie Parish Church.
Upgraded: B to A, 24.3.88

Buildings are assigned to one of three categories according to their relative importance. All listed buildings receive equal legal protection, and protection applies equally to the interior and exterior of all listed buildings regardless of category.

ACategory A

Buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type. (Approximately 8% of the total).

BCategory B

Buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered. (Approximately 51% of the total).

C(S)Category C(S)

Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style, or building type, as originally constructed or moderately altered; and simple traditional buildings which group well with others in categories A and B. (Approximately 41% of the total).